From the archives: After the surrender, 4 May, 1945

THE following communique – possibly the final one – was issued yesterday from Field-Marshal Alexander’s HQ: “Fighting has ceased in Northern Italy west of the Isonzo River with the unconditional surrender of all enemy troops under command of German Army Group “C” (which included six Italian Fascist divisions).
By The Newsroom
Published 4th May 2012, 01:00 BST

There remains only the multitudinous administrative details of assembly and disarming the scattered and disorganised remnants of the once proud Wehrmacht.

“In North-East Italy, the New Zealand division has occupied the important port of Trieste. General Freyberg accepted the surrender of the German garrison to Allied forces at 16.30 hours on Wednesday.

“The total number of German prisoners taken by the 15th Army Group prior to the cessation of hostilities was in excess of 230,000.”

• archive.scotsman.com